


Ink

by Gayfishface



Category: One Piece
Genre: Hand Feeding, M/M, Pre-Slash, Puppy Love, Tattoos, Teen Crush
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-01
Updated: 2019-08-01
Packaged: 2020-07-28 10:49:36
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,254
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20062795
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Gayfishface/pseuds/Gayfishface
Summary: Tattoos are a way to mark your feelings onto your skin forever.





	Ink

**Author's Note:**

> Just a little cute pre-slash for a friend. The next part probably won't be so cutesy.

Ace was laying flat on a table, head awkwardly tilted so he could watch what was going on around him, and arms flopping sort of carelessly to the sides and out of the way. He was starting to ache, not so much from the pain of Pops' mark being placed on him, not that it was particularly appealing or comfortable, but from being in one position _awake_ for hours. They'd only stopped for a bathroom break, and Ace was starting to get fidgety and whiny and _bored_.

"We almost done?"

He called back, hoping that they were heading towards the finish line. When '_About halfway._' was called back Ace couldn't even suppress the whine that came out of his mouth. It was just so much _stillness,_ and when stillness came without sleep it ached somehow. He wanted to run, wanted to move, wanted to do _something_. Anything! Because his mind fought him most when it was quiet, and when he was still. And his mind was cruel, and in the quiet he suddenly remembered every horrible thing ever said to him, and every doubt he'd ever held.

Ace shifted, getting a sharp smack from behind and a "_Hold still!_", and he decided that there should be a devil fruit that allowed instant tattoos, that would be something useful on the ship.

But then he had a hand in his hair, and long fingers ruffling through messy locks, and suddenly his head was being pulled upwards gently. A soft, absolutely comfortable pillow was slid underneath, and by the smell of it he knew it wasn't from his shared room. It had that strong scent of ink and aftershave and the spicy scented soap that Marco favored, and something sweet too that he couldn't put his finger on mentally and Ace buried himself against it with his head now turned to the side.

And when he did, he came face to face with Marco, who was reclining in a chair so that he could talk to Ace and be seen by him properly at the same time. His crush, right there, and he was laying on his pillow. He had a feeling that his face was bright pink at this point, he felt the heat rising if nothing else, and he really hated that he couldn't keep his cool when Marco was involved.

"How are you holding up?"

Ace smiled, trying not to turn too much towards Marco, he didn't want to get hit for wiggling again. But goodness, his whole existence wanted to face him when he was near. He'd had short and uneventful crushes before, sure, but this felt like _love_ and Ace felt so stupid for it. But he kept telling himself that it would fade, Marco was _way _too old for him, and there was a lot of issues with dating someone that was a brother under Pops' flag.

His feelings were _annoying_. But that didn't make them any less real.

"I'm good. Sleepy. Bored. Hungry too. Can't wait to get that needle outta me and food into me."

Marco's gentle laugh that followed was beautiful to Ace, he wasn't being mocked and didn't feel like he was being looked down on, instead it just felt like Marco was _happy_ and that was good enough for Ace's mushy love-sick heart.

"I bet."

Marco's words were soothing as his hand kept playing in Ace's hair, and if Ace was a cat he'd be purring loudly at this point. And he would have been happy to just talk to Marco for a bit, but Marco's hand left his hair and he pushed up and away. Leaving Ace alone to deal with his fidgety irritation and how hungry and bored he was.

Ace closed his eyes, trying to get more comfortable so he could try to doze, and for a couple of minutes or so he _did_ manage to drift away in his mind, thoughts of warmth and friendship and family and belonging lulling him towards dreams. Dulling away the hunger pangs and the consistent stabs, and he was so close to actually passing out when Marco's voice pulled him back from the edge of sleep.

"Open up."

Ace's mouth opened without him even thinking about it, eyes blinking lazily as he tried to focus on getting out of that place of near-sleep, and suddenly his mouth was flooded with the taste of seasoned meat and rice. That woke him up _fast_, and he chewed and swallowed and his stomach didn't feel quite so awful suddenly. Marco had a plate of what looked like tiny balls of rice, but Ace knew he tasted meat in each bite. And Thatch had never made anything like this before, he couldn't remember ever eating anything with this flavor in the past for that matter. Ace might inhale his food like he'd been starved his entire life, but he never forgot the good stuff he'd enjoyed.

Did this mean...

That Marco...

Was feeding him something that he'd made for Ace with his own hands?!

If Ace was blushing earlier, he was beyond red-faced for sure now. It was almost too much for his romance-addled teenage brain to handle. And he just laid still, pink cheeked and stupidly happy as he got fed bite after bite of food, Marco's dexterous fingers right against his lips with every bite. And he barely registered Marco talking at him, soothing him while making sure that his stomach was filled, because it was all just a mash of _yes_ and _good_ and _happy_. It was also a good thing that he was on his front, honestly. Just how excited he was about this would have been exposed for all to see through his shorts if he'd gone with his initial idea of getting a tattoo on his chest.

More than just that, though having Marco's attention was beyond thrilling in multiple ways, Ace realized that he was _happy_. And he was finally somewhere that he could call _home_. And that made everything different, and everything worth it. And after a couple of more bites, he'd intended to thank Marco, to tell him to how happy he was, but suddenly he jerked and passed out instead of being able to do so. Narcolepsy had struck again.

When he woke up, Marco was gone. And he wasn't being tattooed anymore. And when he sat up, his legs were tangled in blanket that definitely wasn't his own. He pulled it up towards his face, and sniffed and went red in the face again. Marco's pillow. Marco's blanket. They smelled the same. And the dark skies that he saw through the open door suggested that it was late enough for dinner, and maybe later than dinner was served normally...

So he had an excuse to go to Marco, and maybe even get to eat with him alone. He had to take his things back to him, after all. And he'd thank him, and beg him to help him get some food to eat too. It was almost a perfect date set up, and all of the ideas of being good and holding back and getting over it went out the window while he picked up the blanket and schemed about a little alone time with Marco. Besides, he had a full length mirror. So Ace would be able to get an over the shoulder look at that new ink that had taken forever to get.

And maybe, just maybe, Marco would like it enough to compliment it too.


End file.
